3 Uses for a Digital Meat Thermometer Other than Meat

digital meat thermometer inserted into meat
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What You'll Need
Digital meat thermometer
What You'll Need
Digital meat thermometer

A digital meat thermometer is the perfect tool to determine if your meat has been cooked well enough to safely eat. You just stick it in the bird or roast, check the digital face to read the temperature, and voila: you know exactly how well done the insides of your dinner are. But the truly great thing about the digital meat thermometer is you can use it take the temperature of a wide variety of things. In fact, this can be a surprisingly useful tool not only in the kitchen but in some other unexpected locations in your home as well. Keep reading for some alternative uses for a digital meat thermometer other than meat.

1. Water and Yeast

In bread and cake recipes, you often have to add yeast to a bowl of water that is of a specific warmth in order to activate it. Instead of just relying on the perceived temperature of the water or using a human thermometer, which is inappropriate for that type of measurement, just stick your digital meat thermometer in the bowl of water. After waiting for a couple of seconds, you will be able to read the precise temperature that the water is and if it is the ideal environment for yeast.

2. Leftovers

Got some leftovers in the fridge that you’d like to microwave up and serve to the family for a quick meal? We all know there’s nothing worse than being served yesterday’s mashed potatoes only to find they have a cold and soggy center. You can use the digital meat thermometer to take the temperature of your leftovers to make sure that they’re cooked all the way through when they come out of the microwave. Just use it in the same way that you would take the temperature of a chicken or a roast.

3. Home Water Heater Testing

If you want to get really creative, you can take your digital meat thermometer out of the kitchen and into other areas of the house. For instance, you can make sure your water heater is heating your water to precisely the right degree (the pros recommend in between 120 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit). If you feel like your water isn’t being heated adequately, or maybe it’s being overheated, then disregard the dials on the heater and test the water yourself to find out. To do this, simply take a bowl or large mug from the kitchen and insert the probe end of the meat thermometer inside. Run hot water from the kitchen sink over the thermometer until the digital face stops at a certain number. If it reads hotter than 140 degrees Fahrenheit, then you know you have an overactive water heater. Adjust the settings on your heater accordingly and keep testing the water each day until you get it just right.